Reflections on 12/13/2011 Class

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  • January 8, 2012 at 10:45 am #20837
    Anonymous
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    During the 12/13/2011 class when Prof. Yamashita spoke about the Okinawans and how many committed suicide by throwing themselves over cliffs I thought about a documentary that briefly discusses this event. The travel series known as Globe Trekkers has a segment which focuses on WWII in the Pacific. This episode does a great job showing the locations and accounts of survivors who are native to some of the islands the Japanese occupied. The film shows the location where many in Okinawa committed suicide along with accounts of Japanese soldiers who documented their last moments before being overtaken by the Americans. This would be an excellent video to show my 11th grade U.S. history students or students studying WWII. This video gives a new or alternate perspective of WWII.
    edited by elopez on 1/15/2012

    January 8, 2012 at 3:34 pm #20838
    Anonymous
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    From Professor Yamashita's December 13th lecture, I was startled to learn that the Japanese government broadcasted on the radio that all Japanese should be prepared to commit suicide. It was also surprising to learn that in school Japanese women and children were told to kill at least one American. Children not only learned academics but also military strategies to attack.

    As I review my lecture notes, I would like some more information on the analysis and causes of Pearl Habor. If anyone can provide me some clarification on the four levels of analysis of Pearl Habor that Professor Yamashita mentioned.

    January 14, 2012 at 10:06 am #20839
    Anonymous
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    I was hoping Dr. Yamashita would tell a fuller picture of the US Government's decision to relocate over 100k Japanese and Japanese/Americans in 1942. In hindsight this was a repulsive act by a democratic nation, but I was looking for his views and his ability to place the event in context.
    In all the cities the Japanese invaded in Asia there was a fully functioning 5th column aiding the invaders.
    1. Hoover was confident if martial law was declared, as in Hawai'i, the FBI could successfully root out saboteurs.
    2. All warring nations incarcerate enemy citizens, and many Japanese /Americans renounced their US citizenship.
    3. The US was asking (demanding?) South American allies to hand over their Japanese citizens as exchanges.
    4. How important is the ancestral pull to the homeland of Japan? I've read that in some way a Japanese is always Japanese, and that he never really becomes non-Japanese or American. Witness the recent Peruvian strongman Alberto Fujimori"s heroic return to Japan.
    I did not wish to take all his time with this topic, he had so much to cover! Maybe next time.

    January 16, 2012 at 6:55 am #20840
    Anonymous
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    I appreciated how Dr. Yamashita organized his lecture on Dec 12. I never realized how turbulent Japanese history was .... the in-fighting among the differing clans as they fought for power. I "saw" some of this in the movie "Twilight Samurai" which took place close the end of the samurai era. What I found very interesting was the reason for the influx of Japanese to Hawaii during the 1880s. All the internal economic turmoil and problems led to the migration of Japanese out of their country to Hawaii. The Japanese Americans rose to great political and economic heights in Hawaii. Also of interest was when the idea was floated that Japanese Americans should be rounded up in Hawaii - it just didn't make sense economically - it would be a disaster. It's a shame the same thought could not have prevailed here in Southern California. I would like to invite one of the 442 vets to speak to my students.....my son's Scout troop was founded by these returning veterans.....they wanted their sons to be well integrated into American society. They have no idea how well they have done. Pat Lamkie

    January 24, 2012 at 11:06 am #20841
    Anonymous
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    You know it's interesting that you mention that because I was sitting around wondering whether anyone has actually done a documentary or wrote a book on Japanese who refused to commit suicide during this period. I'm sure not a lot of Japanese would be waiting in line to tell such a story because of the public stigma attached to such a stance, but still it would be interesting to read a primary source diary or journal or see one of these individuals interviewed.

    February 7, 2012 at 12:12 pm #20842
    Anonymous
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    Reflecting on Dr. Yamashita's lecture that evening, I must say that I was most intrigued by his response to my question on the comfort women. He acknowledged that the Japanese government has given apologies and financial restitution to the comfort women of Korea, the Philippines and all the rest who were involved. I already knew this because my favorite aunt Professor Lee, Hyo Jae has been a strong activist and advocate for the Comfort Women of Korea. I find it interesting that although they have given financial restitution and have apologized, they still refuse to acknowledge that it happened in their history books and do not teach their newer generations about what really happened. Much like the older American History books, omitting facts or giving the inaccurate information about the history with the Native Americans. Or, China being seen in a really different way than it truly was. Just like Marco Polo reporting it differently, in his own version.

    February 7, 2012 at 12:18 pm #20843
    Anonymous
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    I also would like to say that Dr. Yamashita was very gracious to come out and give us those lectures on the history of Japan. It was interesting to learn about how it's history impacted a lot of it's people's decision-making and seemed very full of personal conflicts and grudges. The fact that it only took belittling one person to bring the downfall of a people's dominance. It only took a weak link for that to happen. Something as small as not sounding the alarm to his people. It truly shows how much of a difference one person can make in history.

    February 7, 2012 at 12:18 pm #3540
    Rob_Hugo@PortNW
    Keymaster

    During the 12/13/2011 class, Professor Yamashita talked about how in January 1945, the Japanese military began to issue suicide warnings suggesting that all 100 million Japanese should start preparing to commit suicide. Indeed, the Imperial Army issued directives which basically called for compulsory mass suicide. The Okinawa defense force issued one such directive calling for all civilians as well as army and government personnel to live and die together (kyosei kyoshi). I know the Japanese are an extremely proud people, but was this false pride at its finest? The military was essentially advocating the eradication of the entire Japanese race. Sure, Japanese were spread around the globe, but such a tragedy, if undertaken, would be hard to overcome. I'm not sure the Japanese people as a whole were that loyal to the Emperor or the military. Perhaps that's why the military killed many so-called "spies", and pushed many Japanese citizens out of their shelters and prohibited them from surrendering. In a discussion with my students (we haven't really gotten there yet), I would ask them to imagine themselves to be part of an inner-city gang that was about to lose all of its turf to a rival gang (I know that's a stretch, but I'll try it anyway). Even though most gang members take an oath of loyalty to go down to the bitter end, how would students react (if they were gang members) to a directive by gang leaders to win the turf war or commit suicide? I think I know how this conversation would turn out, but I'll reserve judgement until it actually happens.

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